Sterilizer.



A. L. SIMPSON.

STERILIZER. APPLICATION FILED AUG-27.

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ALBERT L. SIMPSON, or SAN-DIEGO, :CALIFQRNIA.

STERILIZER.

Specification of Lettersratent Application filed August 27, 1914. Serial No. 858,912. g

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, ALBERT L. SIMPSON, a citizenof the United States, residing at San Diego, in the county of San Diego and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sterilizers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to sterilizers and more particularly to a portable sterilizer for tooth brushes, the primary object of the invention being the provision of a substantially air tight tube which has a removable disinfectant retaining chamber carried by one end thereof and means formed within the tube and communicating with said disinfectant or sterilizing fluid retainer to per-v mit of the passage of gas from the disinfectant into the retaining tube but prevent the passage of liquid therethrough.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view this invention consists in such novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved sterilizer. Fig. 2 is a central longiiudinal sectional view through the sterilizer, and Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on the line of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates a cylindrical tube, which has both of its ends open and which is provided with a transversely extending partition 2 formed therein adjacent the lower end of the tube. The partition 2 has an opening 3 formed therein adjacent the wall of the tube 1, through which a pipe or tube a is inserted, which is of considerable less diameter than the tube 1. The pipe 4: has its lower end curved upwardly so that the mouth of the lower end of the pipe would be positioned upwardly and facing the under surface of the partition 2. The pipe 1 is bent intermediate of its ends and spaced :1. short distance inwardly from the upper end of the tube 1, extending laterally across the interior of the tube 1 and downwardly along the inner wall of the tube 1 oppositely to the main body portion of the tube which extends upwardly from the crooked end formed thereof. 7 i

The lower end of the tube 1 is provided with external screw threads 6 formed thereupon which engage the internal screw thread formed upon a cap 7, for detachably connecting the cap to the lower end of the cylinder. Any suitable type of packing washer 8 may be employed for insertion within the cap 7 for abutment against the lower end of the tubel to provide a fluid and air tight connection between the tube 1 and the cap 7. The cap 7 is provided for retaining any suitable sterilizing or disinfectant material such as formaldehyde or the like, and the crooked end 5 of the tube 1 extends downwardly into the compartment formed by the cap within the tube 1 beneath the partition 2. The upper end of the tube 1 is also provided with external screw threads 8 which coact with internal screw threads 9 formed upon the cap 10. A suitable packing washer 11 is inserted in the cap 10 to form a fluid and air tight connection between the tube and the cap 10 so that the interior of the tube will be practically air tight when the caps 7 and 10 are mounted upon the ends of the same.

The closed portion 12 of the pipe 4 which extends laterally across the interior of the tube 1 is bent laterally or transversely so as to encompass substantially one-half of the inner wall of the tube 1 and lie in abutting engagement with the inner wall as is clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, so as to leave the central portion of the tube free from obstruction.

For sterilizing a tooth brush or like brush, the cap 7 is removed and a quantity of formaldehyde or other sterilizing or disinfecting material is placed therein and the cap is repositioned upon the lower end of the tube 1. The cap 10 is then removed and the brush indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2 or designated by the numeral 20 is inserted within the tube, after which the cap 10 is replaced upon the upper end of the tube, thus completely closing the interior of the casing in a substantially fluid and air tight manner. The formaldehyde whichis contained within the chamber formed by the Patented July 18, 1916.

partition 2 and the cap 7 will evaporateand the gases rising from the evaporation of the formaldehyde will enter the crooked end 5 of the pipe l pass upwardly through the pipe and into the interior of the tube 1 for sterilizing the brush 20. By the novel con struction of the end of the,pipe 4 which eX- tends beneath the partition 2 the formaldehyde or other sterilizing-liquid will'be prevented from passing into the interior of the tube *1 and only the gases which pass out from the disinfectant upon the evaporation thereof will enter the tube for the proper sterilization of the tooth brush contained therein.

While in the foregoing description and the drawings this'sterilizing tube has been shown and described as applicable for use with thetooth brush it'lStOlbG understood that it may be employed for any analogous purpose without departing from the spirit ofthis invention.

In reducing the inventionto practice certain minor features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may necessitate alteration and such alterations are comprehended within the scope of What is claimed.

What is claimed is In a sterilizing device, a cylindrical tube having both ends open, and being screw threaded,an imperforated partition extendingtransversely across said tube and located a short distance inwardly from the lower end thereof, caps internally screw threaded secured to the opposite end of said tube with airtight connection, one of said caps forming a compartment below the imperforated partition adapted 'to holda disinfectant or sterilizing liquid therein, -a pipe extending through said partition having its inner end curved upwardly toward the under face of said partition, the free end of said pipe extending upwardly into said tube and-engaging the inner walls thereof, the opposite end curved horizontally and downwardly terminating at a point just above said partition, said pipe adapted to convey gases from the compartment below the imperforated partition to the other compartment of said tube.

Intestimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of .two witnesses.

ALBERT L. SIMPSON. VlHtnesses:

Gno. D. EAsToN, G. SAVAGE.

Copies of thispatentmay-be obtained for-five-eents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

